Shambala takes place at Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens, Northampton NN6 9LY. It’s a gorgeous countryside site, with stunning lakes, lush flat fields, woodlands and meadows.
Every year, Shambala takes place on the August bank holiday – so for 2026 it’ll be Thursday 27th August – Sunday 30th August.
Tickets for 2026 are on sale now, grab yours here!
Not very big! We’re a comparatively small festival – with between 14,000 – 15,000 public adults (plus kids).
Very! We’ve even been named “The best family festival in the world” by FestivalKidz. Dig into more of our family information here. However, unlike some festivals, this is a family-friendly festival, not a families-only festival.
Yep, there’s hot shower blocks all around the site, and they’re included in your ticket price – no extra charges to keep yourself clean!
Yes, there are water refill points dotted all around the campsites and main arena. Please remember to bring your own bottle, as we don’t sell single-use bottles.
Late! From Friday we run until about 5am each morning (even on the Sunday) but this is in the main arena – you can still get a decent nights kip in our campsites, don’t you worry.
Usually, none, because our audience are diamonds. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, not one single tent was left. In 2024, ONE PERSON LEFT A TENT! FOR SHAME! But seriously please do take your tents home.
Ordinarily – yes – but at time of writing (14th August 2026) due to the very dry conditions this Summer, it’s a firm no. This is subject to change should we get some rain between now and show – and we’ll make sure we shout about it, if anything changes.
There are plenty of food vendors across the site, all of which are meat-free and fish-free.
Please remember to bring your reusable cups, cutlery and dishware to help reduce waste at the festival.
All bars, food traders and merch stalls accept contactless payments. All traders, bars and merchandise points will not accept cash payments – there may be some craft workshops or therapists in the Healing Meadow that do.
There will be an on-site ATMs at Shambala, but all traders, bars and merchandise points will not accept cash payments – there may be some craft workshops or therapists in the Healing Meadow that do.
Yes, our Medical and Welfare facilities are open 24/7 throughout the event.
We offer a lot of services to make Shambala as accessible as possible, from free PA tickets to Accessible Camping, BSL interpreters and more. To find out more and apply for our Accessibility services, head here.
You may bring limited amounts of alcohol to site. The per adult limit is:
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- 16 x 440ml cans of lager/cider/beer OR
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- up to 70cl of spirits (not in glass) OR
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- 18 x 250ml cans of premixed spirit drinks OR
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- 3-litre box of wine OR
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- 7 litres of cider/lager/beer in plastic bottles or cans.
Excess alcohol will be confiscated and forfeited. Alcohol can only be brought into the festival on your first entry. There is strictly no re-entry to the festival with alcohol. No bulk items e.g. cases or slabs of cans and keg dispensers are allowed.
As an independent event, our bars are a crucial income stream that keep the festival viable – and they’re brilliant so please do support them. Our bars serve the finest ciders, ales, lagers and cocktails and we work hard to keep our pricing affordable compared to many festivals.
General camping is included with your entry ticket; you need to bring your own camping equipment (e.g. tent).
We have a dedicated family camping field – no pre-booking required.
You can also purchase additional pre-pitched camping and campervan vehicle passes for live-in vehicles, as well as wristbands to use our new Dragonfly Camping Field.
You can bring your camper van, caravan or car fitted with a rooftop tent or trailer tent if you purchase a Camper Van pass.
Please ensure you have the right-sized pass for your vehicle. Cars without fitted rooftop tents and non-live-in vans and vehicles are not permitted in the live-in vehicle fields.
No, you will need to purchase a car pass and park in our car park over the weekend.
Yes, if you must – but we’d rather you embraced our values and went veggie for the weekend. Our food traders are banging and we’d wager you won’t miss it!
No, animals are not allowed on the festival site with the exception of service animals.
Yep! Keep your valuables safe at the festival by using our secure lock up unit. You’ve got two options.
A4 envelope – car keys, passports, bank cards etc.
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- A shelf space suitable for one large rucksack, if you need more space than that simply buy a second space!
Lockers aren’t bookable in advance, just turn up on site to book yours!
You may need to show photo ID for proof of name and age. If you have lost your ID, please email us in advance at enquiries@shambalafestival.org.
Gates for Shambala 2026 will open at midday on Thursday 27th August, car parks open at 11am.
We ask that everyone leaves the site by 12pm on Monday 31st August.
Most venues are covered, and we have covered seating areas around the site. In cases of extreme weather, please check our website, app and social media for updates.
A £25 refundable deposit is added to all orders. It’s returned to the original booker when you bring your sorted rubbish and recycling to a Recycling Exchange before leaving the festival site.
Please refer to the Shambala website, app or printed programme for Recycling Exchange opening hours. Thanks for helping us leave the site tidy and clean!
Phone signal is limited on site, but we have WiFi points available, where you can buy tokens to access the internet for a period of time – just check the map on site to find out where!
Yes, phone charging is available. Please see our map on site for details.
Yes! If the thought of lugging your tent, camping gear, sleeping bag and supplies across the site to your campsite is sending you into a tizzy, never fear, our Shambarrows can help you take the weight off and make your arrival wheel-y easy.
Hire them up inside the gate when you get here!
The service usually operates on Thursday from gates opening to 9pm, and Friday 10am to 6pm and then for the out on Sunday from Noon to 4pm and finally Monday 9am to Noon.